Cloche



'July 15,1952 H. T. L. LBFTUS-TOTTENHAM ETAL CLOCHE 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed Nov. 13, 1946 A CNveMT- 11.4.41 .a a.-

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July 15, 1952 H. T. LOFTUS-TOTTENHAM EI'AL 2,603,036

CLOCHE Filed Nov. 13, 1946 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 FIG. 11 IFIIG. 12.

' the handle Patented July 15, 1952 CLOCHE Henry Thomas Lloyd Loftus-Tottenham and William James Coster, Chertsey, England, as-

signors to Chase Protected Cultivation Ghertsey, England Limited,

Application November 13, 1946, Serial No. 709,470

In Great Britain December 29, 1945 Claims. (Cl. 47-29) This invention relates to cloches of the barn type, i. e., the type having two transparent plates (generally of glass) on at least one side .of a handle forming a pressure member engaging an internal tension member over which the transparent plates are supported.

According to the present invention a support is provided adjacent to the uppermost plate. of a pair on one side of the handle to enable that plate to be removed without disturbing, the rigidity of the remainder of the structure, as may be desirable for ventilation, access to plants, or the admission of rain.

The support is preferably in the form of a frame having two parallel sides, the upper side adapted to clip under lateral projections of a handle pressure member and the lower side adapted to engage a member of the cloche structure disposed adjacent to the lower edge of a plate at one side of the handle. a

The frame may be a closed panel, with itslower Y side formed with a loop for engagement with the internal tension member and turning at each the lower side of the frame is preferably central;

if two or more tension members are provided, the lower side of the frame loops round each.

' may be supported from the internal tension mem- The loop or loops for engagement with the tension member or members may form serrations adapted to engage the edge of at least one of the plates at that ide of the cloche, and preferably of both of the plates.

The frame is preferably made of stiff wire, bent to shape and welded e'nd-to-end. Alternatively,

strip is preferably used, with the width of the strip in the plane of'the frame, to impart the necessary rigidity. Theupper side of the frame "is-adapted to clip under the lateral projections of pressure member and the lower side her by a connector bar of known type which also supports the upper edge of the lower plate and the lower edge of the upper plate.

The frame may be provided with inwardly projecting prongs adapted to be disposed one at either side of the tension member to prevent sideways displacement of the frame. The prongs also serve to bear against the connector bar to restrain the latter against displacement from its normal operative position.

If two or more tension members are used in the cloche then two or more sets of prongs may be provided on the frame.

A frame may be disposed at eachside of the cloche, thus permitting removal of two upper plates.

The frame or framesimpart rigidity to and preserve the symmetry, of the whole structure, especially when the cloche is turned on its end for storage or for certain horticultural purposes:

The handle pressure member for use with the supportframe preferably comprises a length of wire coiled into a loop forming the handle proper, the ends of the wire extending in opposite directions from the handle loop and each terminating in a long loop commencing in a plane substantially normal to the plane of the handle loop and then bending upwards out of the plane. The free extremities of the wire may form extensions at the opposite sides of the main length of the wire to the long loop for retaining the upper plate or frame at that side, or a small loop may be formed at the opposite side before turning the wire into the long loop. Such a handle facilitates fixing and removal of the upper plate and the frame, and may, moveover, be provided with at least one serration in each long loop and/or extension to hold the upper'plate or plates clear of the ridge, the gap thus formed affording ventilation;

The invention will be further describedwith reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure l is a perspective View of a cloche pro vided wtih a support frame according to the invention;

Figure 2 is an end view of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a scrap View showing release of handle loops for removal of upper plate; v

Figure 4 is a partial perspective view showing a modified form of support frame;

Figure 5 is a partial end view of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a perspective View onzreduced scale of the support frame injFigure 4; j

Figure 7 is a scrap perspective view slldwil is I a modification to the frame ofFigures 4, 5 andfi;

Figure 8 is an end view of the cloche incorporating the frame of Figure 7;

Figure 9 is a perspective view of a frame showing an alternative construction of the modification of Figure 7; and

Figures ,10, ll-and 12 are scrap viewsshowing alternativef formations' of the handle and extensions.

In Figures 1 and 2, a cloche of the barn type is shown comprising front and back lower plates III, II and front and back relatively inclined upper plates l2, I3 supported over an internal transverse tension member M, hookedat [5; under the lower edge of the lower plates, and heldin position by a handle l6 forming a pressure member engaging the tension member and bearingon adjacent upper edges of the-upper plates -l2, l3. The adjacent edges of the two back plates 11,13 are supported from the internal tension member H by a connector bar I! formed from stiff wire and having serrated ends I 8 passing between and engaging the'edges .of the plates ateach side of the tension member, which passes between the 'plates and the connector'bar. 'The adjacent edges of the two frontpl'ates l0, [2 are supported fromithe tension memberby a supporting frame I 3, as hereinafter" described.

The support frame is made of stiff wire, preferably galvanised, bent to shape and welded endtcaend. It has parallellower and upper sides 20, 2! connected by endmembers 22, 23. The lower side 2!) is formedwith a centralinwardly "projecting loop through which passes the tension member I4,'as shown more clearly in Figure.2, and turns at each end into serrations 25, 26 forming two pairs'of aligned serrations, the serrations 25 engaging the lower edge of the upper plate l2 and the serrations 26 the upper edge of the lower plate l0, thus holding these'adjacent edges against outward displacement.

The end members of the frame 22, 23 are substantially at right angles to the upper and lower sides and space these latter sides apart by an amount sufficient to bring the upper side 'approximately into alignment with the under'surface of the upper front plate l2.

"the upper plate .reinovedfor [purposes previously described, the frame l9 will be held in compreslsion between the handle and the lower plate I0 'to-retain the'rigidity and shape of the structure. Furthermore the upper plate may be readilyreplaced without disturbing the rigidity of the structure.

Thehandle asshown-in Figures 1, 2 and 3.is formed from a length of wire, .preferablygalvanised, coiled into a central loop 29, forming the handle proper, the ends of the Wire ,extending in opposite directionsfrom the loop .to form two arms 30 .eachterminating in the long flat .loop .21 extending to thefrontsideof the main wire and commencing in a plane substantially normal to the plane of the handle loop, outer ends ll .of the loops 2] beingbent upwards out of the plane. The free ends of the handle wire form .the extensions ZB 'attheoppositeside of .the main jwir'eto-tlieloopsil. I

a 4 The arms 30 of the handle are each bent downwardly at 32 in the same plane as the handle loop just before turning into the end loops 2! in order to bring the plane of the loops substantially parallel with the upper edges of the upper plates I2, l3 in the operative position of the handle, in

'which'theloops ,21 bear down on the upper edge appreciated that the free shape of the handle willbe determined by the magnitude of the pressure :required to be exerted.

The end 3| of the loop 21 comfortably engages the finger or thumb under the fairlyhigh pressure needed to spring the loop for insertion or removal of the plate l2 or the frame l9.

Referring now to Figures 4, 5 and 6, another form of support frame 33 is shown in conjunction with a handle having end loops 34 stepped to form serrations 35 to receive the upper edge of the plate I2 in a raised position for ventilation purposes. The end of the loop 34 is comfortably engaged by the fingerand thumb for insertion or removal of the. plate l2 or the frame 33, or'adjustment of the plate I2 in the serration 35.

The frame 33 is formed from flat" strip material, preferably galvanised steel, and has parallel upper'and lower sides 36, 31 and a crossmember 138 welded, or otherwise connected, at its ends midway along-the upper and lower sides thus forming'a flat frame of H-shape, with the width of the strip inthe plane of the frame to impart the necessary rigidity. The frame used in conjunction with a connector bar 39, similar to the connector bar I! of Figures 1 and 2, having serrated ends 40 engaging the upper edge of the lower plate It in one serration and the lower edges of the frame and upper plate I2 in the'other serrations. The connector bar engages the transverse tension member I4 and thus holds the adjacent edges of the plates and the frame against outwards displacement. The upper edge of the frame is approximately in line with the under surface of the upper edge of the plate l2 and both edges clip the lateral loops 34 of'the handle.

The upperplate I2 maybe removed and replaced as previously described with 'referenceto the'frame' I9, the frame33 retaining the shape 'and'rigidity of the structure at all times.

The handleof Figure 1 may be used with the frame of Figure 4 and viceversa.

Figures '7, 8 and 9 illustrate modifications to the frame 33 as shown in Figures 4, 5 and '6. Figure '7 is a scrap perspective view showinga frame assembled in position in relation to the lower plate atone side ofjthe cloche, the handle pressure member and upper plate being omitted for sake of clarity. The cross-member connecting the upper and lower sides 36, 31 of theframe is formed froniastiif round wire bent adjacent the lower side 3lto form an inwardly profree end bent inwardly at H to form, in conunction withthe leg of the loop-42, two prongs disposed one -at eachside of the internal tension member; l l thus holding the ,frameagainst sideways displacement. The prongs also are adapted to bear against the connector bar 39, as shown the more clearly in Figure 8, and so restrain the connector bar from rotation about its pivot along the upper edge of the lower plate 10.

The cross member 4| is secured to the upper and lower sides of the frame by welding as shown at 46, 41.

Figure 9 shows an alternative construction of the prongs. A U-shaped wire is welded at 48 to the cross-member 38 of the frame 33, the two limbs of the U forming prongs 49, 50.

Figures 10, '11 and 12 show modifications to the handle end extensions. In Figure a modification of the end loops 34 of Figure 4 is shown, in which the extension of the wire at the opposite side of the handle main wire to the loop 34 is provided with one or more serrations 51 to enable adjustment of the back plate 13 for ventilation. The extension of the end loop 21 of Figure 1 may be similarly formed.

Figure 11 shows the handle wire bent into a small loop 52 before turning into the serrated loop 34 (or similarly the plain loop 21), the loop 52 extending to the opposite side of the handle to the loop 34 (or 27) to engage the upper edge of the back upper plate. The free ends of the wire in this case does not project beyond the main wire or arm of the hands.

The Figure 12 then shows the handle wire formed into the small loop 52 and then bent to form a single serrated wire extension 53 for engagement with the front upper plate and frame, the free end of the wire being formed into a loop 54, which comfortably engages the finger or thumb for springing the extension 53 on insertion or removal of the upper plate or frame.

What we claim is:

1. A barn-shaped cloche comprising a handle forming a pressure member, lateral projections being formed on the handle, an internal transverse tension member engaged by the pressure member, a lengthwise connector bar engaging the tension member, upper and lower transparent plates at a side of the cloche, the connector bar having ends shaped to engage the adjacent edges of the upper and lower plates, with the upper edge of the upper plate engaged compressively by the lateral projections of the handle, a lengthwise supporting member disposed adjacent to the handle and parallel to the connector bar and also engaged compressively by the lateral projections of the handle, and at least one cross-spacing member rigidly secured to the supporting member and extending to the connector bar to transmit compressive thrust from the supporting member to the connector bar.

2. A barn-shaped cloche comprising a handle forming a pressure member, lateral projections being formed on the handle, an internal transverse tension member engaged by the pressure member, a lengthwise connector bar engaging the tension member, upper and lower transparent plates at a side of the cloche, the connector bar having ends shaped to engage the adjacent edges of the upper and lower plates, with the upper edge of the upper plate engaged compressively by the lateral projections of the handle, a lengthwise supporting member disposed adjacent to the handle and parallel to the connector bar and also engaged compressively by the lateral projections of the handle, and cross-spacing members rigidly secured to the ends of the supporting member and also to the ends of the connector bar, to enable compressive thrust to be transmitted from the supporting member to the connector bar.

3. A barn-shaped cloche comprising a handle forming a pressure member, lateral projections being formed on the handle, an internal transverse tension member engaged by the pressure member, a lengthwise connector bar engaging the tension member, upper and lower transparent plates at a side of the cloche, the connector bar having ends shaped to engage the adjacent edges of the upper and lower plates, with the upper edge of the upper plate engaged compressively by the lateral projections of the handle, a lengthwise supporting member disposed adjacent to the handle and parallel to the connector bar and also engaged compressively by the lateral projections of the handle, a further lengthwise member parallel to the supporting member, at least one crossspacing member rigidly secured between the supporting member and the further lengthwise member and being of such length that the further lengthwise member engages the shaped ends of the connector bar, to enable compressive thrust to be transmitted from the supporting member to the connector bar.

4. A cloche as in claim 3, wherein a single cross-spacing member is provided, rigidly secured at its ends to the centers of the supporting member and further lengthwise member respectively, and downwardly extending prongs being provided near the lower end of the cross-spacing member to embrace the tension member to secure the further lengthwise member and the supporting member against lengthwise displacement.

5. A cloche as in claim 4, comprising downwardly bent portions of the lower end of the cross-spacing member itself to provide the prongs.

HENRY THOMAS LLOYD LOFTUS- TO-I'IENHAM. WILLIAM JAMES COSTER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,221,664 Boyer Apr. 3, 1917 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 45,764 Denmark May 25, 1932 388,565 Great Britain Mar. 2, 1933 547,087 Great Britain Aug. 12, 1942 569,638 Great Britain June 1, 1945 

